MESSENGER-RNA CODING FOR VOLTAGE-GATED SODIUM-CHANNEL BETA-2 SUBUNIT IN RAT CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM - CELLULAR-DISTRIBUTION AND CHANGES FOLLOWING KAINATE-INDUCED SEIZURES

The cellular distribution of sodium channel beta 2 subunit mRNA was ex amined in the central nervous system from adult Wistar rats using a no n-radioactive in situ hybridization method with digoxigenin-labeled cR NA probes. The expression of the subunit was strong in cerebral and ce rebellar cortex, in medulla oblongata and in the spinal cord whereas h eterogeneous in hippocampus, The distribution was evaluated in hippoca mpus and cerebral cortex from 1 to 72 h after kainate injection and co mpared to control rats using densitometric analysis. In these areas, a transient increase was seen 1 h after the drug administration, follow ed, in the hippocampus, by a significant decrease. These variations di ffer from those we previously reported for oc subunits and might play a role in cellular excitability changes occurring in the course of sei zures. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. AII rights reserved.